Almond Cookies
Nov 06, 2014, Updated May 07, 2023
Crispy & Buttery Indian style Eggless Almond Cookies. So good with coffee or tea!
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Before I say anything, let me just say that I’m not liking the weather these days. Great it’s fall and it’s beautiful but not when it rains nonstop, also it’s getting dark at 4:30 PM and that annoys me a lot. Like a LOT. I love sunshine and I am already missing it even though I know this is going to be the same for next 4-5 months. As I write this, I can see only rain and grey sky outside my window and also a big traffic jam. Arghhh. Anyway rant over and now let’s talk about cookies because cookies always make you feel better, no matter what!
One of the great things about the festive season is the treats that you get to eat and one of my favorite treats is cookies. This weekend when I went grocery shopping, I saw lots and lots of cookies in stores, European cookies, butter cookies, ginger cookies to name a few and that inspired me to bake these little cuties! I love almond cookies and the Indian style buttery and crunchy almond cookies are one of my favorites. We call them badam biscuits [badam=almond and biscuit=cookies]. If I was to describe their taste in American context I would say they are similar in flavor to shortbread cookies.
These cookies are egg free because in India we do not not associate cookies with eggs, not the one we eat everyday with our chai. They are all always eggless.
The ingredient list is pretty simple – flour, almond flour, almond extract, sugar and butter. I have used salted butter for these cookies and I believe it works best for this recipe. You can use unsalted butter but then you will need to add little salt in the dough. I know almond flour is not readily available in India like it is here but you can easily make your own at home by grinding silvered almonds.
You can tie them in a treat bag and gift them to your friends. I think they will make a cute gift! Won’t they? 🙂
Method
In the steel bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or using your hand mixer, beat the butter at medium speed till creamy. This will take 2-3 minutes.
Add the sugar and beat the mixture till it’s smooth and creamy. Also add the almond extract.
Now with the mixer running at low speed add the all purpose flour and almond flour slowly in parts. Also add the cardamom powder (if using).
It will all come together as a dough and you will know it’s done when the dough sticks to the paddle attachment.
Shape the dough in form of a disc and wrap it with a cling. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes and in the meanwhile preheat your oven to 350 F degrees.
Take out the dough from the refrigerator after 10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on a flat surface and roll the dough using a rolling pin to 1/4 inch thickness.
Cut into different shapes using cookie cutter. I cut them into round big cookies and got 13 pieces.
Place the cookies onto a pan lined with silicone mat or parchment paper. Decorate them with whole or sliced almonds.
Bake at 350 F degrees for 20-22 minutes.
Take them out of the oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy these crispy almond cookies with a cup of chai or coffee.
* Store cooled cookies in an airtight container. They should stay good for weeks.
* Room temperature butter should not be too soft. Keep it outside the refrigerator for 30 minutes. When you press the butter with your finger you should be able to see an impression on it [but it should still be firm] that’s the right temperature for you to use the butter in your cookies.
* Using cardamom powder is optional. I did not use it.
Almond Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup salted butter [1 stick] at room temperature
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder [optional]
- some almonds sliced & whole for decorating
Instructions
- In the steel bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or using your hand mixer, beat the butter at medium speed till creamy.
- Add the sugar and beat the mixture till it's smooth and creamy. Also add the almond extract.
- Now with the mixer running at slow speed add the all purpose flour and almond flour slowly in parts. Also add the cardamom powder (if using).
- Mix till it comes together as dough and sticks to the paddle attachment.
- Shape the dough in form of a disc and wrap it with a cling. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes and in the meanwhile preheat your oven to 350 F degrees.
- Take out the dough from the refrigerator after 10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on a flat surface and roll the dough using a rolling pin to 1/4 inch thickness.
- Cut into different shapes using cookie cutter.
- Place the cookies onto a baking pan lined with silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Decorate the cookies with whole or sliced almonds.
- Bake at 350 F degrees for 20-22 minutes.
- Take them out of the oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy crispy almond cookies with coffee or tea.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Eggless Almond Cookies
These are my all-time favorite cookie!! As almond flour is rather expensive, I did take your advice about grinding some instead, and they turned out great.
Do you think the all-purpose could be replaced by chapati flour and butter by ghee? Have you tried them with a pinch of salt in the recipe?
You can try, I haven’t tested this recipe with ghee and chapati flour. And since the recipe uses salted butter, I don’t see the point of adding more salt?
Hi.. the recipe looks amazing..
Only I don’t have almond extract.. Can I skip it? Will it affect the taste?
yes you can skip it
All purpose flour = maida?? How can I make without almond flour?
yes all purpose flour is maida. Grind some almonds and use in place of almond flour.
Could I possibly use turbinado sugar instead if I ground it? I have lots on hand at the moment.
you can try!
Hi Manali,
Can I use ground almonds/almond meal instead of almond flour? I understand almond flour is more fine than almond meal? (never used almond flour/meal before). Thanks
you can try 🙂
It was one of the best tasting recipes i have tried! Made these and loved by all!!
Hi, these are lovely cookies.
Are you sure the amount of the all purpose flour is correct? 3/4 of a cup?? or is it 1 3/4 of a cup??
I made the exact recipe with 3/4 of a cup of all purpose flour, and the whole thing was thin like a pancake mix.
even after putting it in the freezer. it was too soft and thin to roll out or cut even.
Please clarify.
Thanks a lot.
Sonia, it is correct. I hope you measured the ingredients correctly. I don’t understand how the batter was thin as a pancake! I have made this several times! Did you add 1/2 cup almond flour?
thanks a lot for replying. Maybe I measured wrong somehow?. I’ll try again, since these are lovely, lovely cookies.
Hi Manali!
These cookies looked so good I decided to make them asap! I did nothing different but still got really flattened out, edges burned cookies. What did I do wrong? I added saffron and cardamom to mine and its so beautifully fragrant! They still taste great but look bad. I have another batch of dough in the fridge. Anything I can try to fix it?
Thank you!
Hello Vandana! Sorry to hear about the cookies! Did you put any leavening agent [baking powder or soda] into this dough? These cookies do not need one. Second did you cut them out too thin. Make sure when you cut the dough thick with your cookie cutter. Too thin and the cookies will flatten in the oven. Hope the next batch will be okay 🙂 Good luck!
what if we dun have almond flour
You can always make your own. Soak the almond for 4 hours or so and then peel them. Dry with a paper towel and then grind in a blender. Make sure you don’t over-grind them else they will release oil.
That’s really a crunchy cookie.Def a great treat for this holiday season.I am going to use almonds instead of almond flour and i am using wheat flour instead of regular flour ..Will this work manali ?i mean taste good or very different ?
Sathya… It might make some difference to the taste but it would still be good I guess…let me know how it turns out!
wow, your almond cookies look absolutely perfect and I bet they taste even better, thanks for sharing, pinned:)
Thanks for the pin Lily!
Beautiful, I love the addition of cardamom!
Thanks Emma!
Thanks for the pin Ceara! 🙂
Thank you Kelly! Though I’m happy today, it’s sunny! YAY!
Thanks Olivia!
Thanks Sarah! 🙂 I know it’s getting dark pretty early these days and it days are going to get even more shorter…I like long days with sunshine, guess will have to wait 4-5 months for that now!
I don’t think any of these would make it into the treat bag for my friends! These are my kind of crispy cookies! Love almonds. These look perfect, Manali! Pinned!
Thanks for the pin Lindsey! Haha it wouldn’t make it to the treat bag for my friends either! we and hubby are going to finish it all!
Ahh I Know, the weather is really annoying. Glad you like the cookies Sarah, they always cheer you up!
Your cookies are picture perfect! They are so pretty and look very tasty!
Thanks Vanessa 🙂
these look like cookies that I would just snack on and eat WAYYY to many of! yummm pinned!
Thanks Michele! these are very addicting, I am trying not to munch on them all the time!
Those cookies look beautiful! I love almond cookies and I can’t wait to give this recipe a try:)
Thanks Ashley!
Thanks Stacey! My husband says he doesn’t want to eat these cookies just because they are so pretty! haha!
These pictures don’t look like you are surrounded by darkness! I seriously love the look of these cookies Manali! Shortbread is one of my favorites and I love the almonds in these! Beautiful! Pinned! 🙂
Thanks Renee for the pin! So happy you liked these! 🙂
Thank you so so much Kristi, your post made me really happy! I am trying to be a better photographer and your comment means so much to me, thank you! xoxo
Thanks for the pin Mira! Oh Almond cookies are one of my favorites, you must make them!
My daughter is allergic to eggs so this recipes is perfect for us!! With the cookies season around the corner this recipe couldn’t have a better timing. Pinned!!
Thanks for the pin Oriana! I hope you give this recipe a try and your daughter likes it!
Thank you Ami! I love these cookies 🙂